Mechanical clasp particularly adapted for wearing-apparel.



G. M. FRIEND.

MECHANICAL CLASP PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR WEARING APPAREL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1908'.

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CHARLE$ M. FRIEND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. V

MECHANICAL CLASP PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR "WEARING-APPAREL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 191d.

Application filed November 2, 1908. Serial No. 460,575.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. FRIEND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Clasps ParticularlyAdapted for Wearing-Apparel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanical clasps, particularly such as areadapted for use in wearing apparel, and contemplates, especially, aclasping device which may be employed to close an elongated opening orto unite elongated adjacent edges of parts of a garment.

The object of this invention is to rovide a device which may be employedor the purposes above pointed out whereby the proper result may beobtained quickly and easil lt is a further objectof this invention toprovide a clasp which may be positively locked against accidentalrelease, and to these various ends I have designed a structurecomprising, primarily, two separate parts which may be laterally securedtogether by relative longitudinal movement and which may be absolutelylocked together by preventing such relative longitudinal movement. Inkeeping with these ideas, I have also designed a structure which isneither difficult to properly adjust to, nor too cumbersome for use inwearing apparel.

y invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view illustrating my device as employed in a garment; Fig.2 is a plan view thereof, the two separate members being placed andlocked together; Fig. 8 is an elevational view of one end thereof,illustrating the locking mechanism; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionalview on an enlarged scale taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 isan end view of the device on an enlarged scale, illustratingparticularly the locking mechanism.

Like reference numerals are applied to the same parts throughout thevarious figures.

The device comprises, primarily, two elongated members, such as the leafbars 6 and 7, of spring material, such as steel, and similar in outline.These members are each provided with a number of small apertures 8, 8conveniently disposed for sewing the same to the garment, although othermeans of attachment may be employed.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention as being applied for thepurposes of closing the usual slit in a skirt indicated at 9, the twomain clasp members being attached respectively to the opposing edges ofthe garment parts. One of said clasp members, preferably the oneattached to the under lapping part of the garment, here the leaf bar 6,is provided with a series of buttons 10, 10, riveted or otherwisesecured thereto, and depending in number upon the length of the edges tobe united, while the other member, here the leaf bar 7, is provided withan equal number of correspondingly relatively disposed keyhole slots11,11. These keyhole slots have the part 12, of suflicient size topermit the passage of the heads 13 of the buttons 10, and the restrictedpart 1a, which just accommodates the stems 15 thereof.

The two spring bar members are so placed upon the garment that when theoverlapping edges are brought together and in proper relative positionthe stems of the buttons, which have initially been inserted through theenlarged parts of the slots, will be disposed in the restricted portionthereof. Thus the two main members are positively secured againstlateral separation. It is apparent that these two parts are so broughttogether by a simple relative longitudinal movement and to absolutelylock the parts it is necessary merely to prevent such movement inreverse direction. To this end I provide upon the member 6 which carriesthe buttons, a post 16, riveted or otherwise suitably secured thereto,which post is arranged to pass through an opening 17 provided in themember 7 when the buttons 10, 10 engage in the restricted position ofthe slots 11, 11. The post and the opening in which it engages beingproperly disposed relative to the buttons and keyhole slots, it is seenthat relative longitudinal movement of the members is prevented at thesame time that the buttons prevent lateral separation and the parts arethus securely locked together. The main members of the structure beingof spring material it is clear that this construction is possible andpracticable.

To prevent accidental release of the end of the member 7 from off thepost, the post is bifurcated to receive a locking lever 18, pivoted tothe post at 19. Its width is less than the diameter of the opening 16,so that when in its upright position, as shown covered by the'garmentproper as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the lever is well held tersPatent, is

in Fig. 1, it may pass through that opening and may, in fact, assist asa lever to engage initially in the opening 16 to bring the opposinggarment parts together, and to lead the opening to the post. When theparts have been brought together as has been described, the lever may beturned down, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5 to prevent the member 7 fromslipping off the post. Being down in its locking position by the garmentpart proper against which it must be thrust as shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. When so brought together the overlapping edges of the garmentparts entirely conceal the device and, being flexible in itself, thedevice may respond to any inherent movement of the garment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desirecovered by Let- 1. In a clasp in combination, a pair of elongatedmembers, a series of buttons carried by one of said members, the othermember havmg a serles of keyhole slots the eni larged portions of whichregister simulta- 1 in an opening in the other of said memberswhen saidmembers are in their interlocked position, a clamping lever carried bysaid post, and a part of the garment extending over said lever to holdit in its locking position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES M. FRIEND.

\Vitnesses VVALTER S. BAER, H. J. Srmsnnnonn.

